Zimbabwe: Aaron and the Masiye Camp
Aaron Marahahle’s life changed dramatically when he lost his father to AIDS-related illness. At age 16, tall and slightly awkward, Aaron had to move in with an uncle, change school and find new friends in the urban sprawl of Kambuzuma, a district of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. He got into arguments with his relatives and became very withdrawn. Aaron’s uncle was forever reminding him that his father had left no money for his upkeep, and Aaron was never sure whether his school fees would be paid.
Recently, though, Aaron was nominated by a local non-governmental organization to attend Masiye Camp in Matobo for orphans and other vulnerable children.
Sleeping in a tent with four other boys and eating three meals a day, Aaron was encouraged to talk about his life and loss and vent the emotions that he had bottled up inside. “At first we were all scared to share our feelings,” he says. “But once we got to know each other, we were willing to share our own experiences and problems. When you go through something, you always feel like it is you alone who is suffering, but here we had the opportunity to share in the grief of others who had also lost their parents.”
The benefits of the programme extend beyond the camp itself. During their stay, Aaron and his contemporaries were trained to counsel other children in their schools, towns and villages. Today, Aaron is a peer educator and is able to use his counselling skills to help others. “I am a better listener now and know how to talk to other children and give them advice,” he says.
It is estimated that for every child that attends camp, a further three children benefit indirectly through the sharing of information and counselling in this way.
With an adult HIV-prevalence rate of nearly 25 per cent, large numbers of Zimbabwean parents are dying, leaving behind an estimated 1.3 million orphans (980,000 of whom have been orphaned by AIDS-related causes). In addition, it is estimated that there are more than 120,000 children living with HIV in Zimbabwe. These children and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS urgently need emotional support and counselling.
UNICEF and the Masiye Camp, set up the Salvation Army, have joined together to train partners in different communities with the counselling, psychosocial and life skills, as well as the know-how, to run such camps. UNICEF then helps the partners establish additional camps, providing them with sporting and camping equipment, games and other tools.
